


The More Things Change

by TheRedLotusFlower88



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Again, Birthday Blues, Cheer Up Attempts, Established Relationship, I made Ryuji depressed on his birthday, It's just a sad coincidence our birthdays are in the same month, Light Angst, Luckily Akira is a good boyfriend for trying to cheer him up, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Sad, feelsbadman, mostly because I'm projecting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:05:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15155621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedLotusFlower88/pseuds/TheRedLotusFlower88
Summary: "At this point, my birthday is just a painful reminder that I exist."Once upon a time, Ryuji loved his birthday. My, how things change.





	The More Things Change

Once upon a time, Sakamoto Ryuji used to be the happiest boy whenever his birthday came. It starts out like this:

Every morning, his mother would make him a special breakfast just before he gotten up. Once the smell reached Ryuji, the boy would clumsy leave his bed and head downstairs with excited eyes and a big, bright, smile on his face, eagerly waiting for his mom to stop cooking so he could eat. If his dad was up, the man would smile, pick him up, and spin him around, all the while, wishing him a happy birthday. He would then tell Ryuji that he had big plans for them to do together - _just the three of us_ \- just as his mother finished up with the breakfast. The plans would always make Ryuji excited, usually scarfing down his food, his mother scolding at him for eating so fast, and often making his dad chuckle when he choked. When he was done, Ryuji would go upstairs, take a bath, and got ready for the day. His dad would take him wherever he wanted to go at some point last week - for this week, he wanted to go to the zoo - and it usually made Ryuji love his father even more.

_You're the best dad in the world!_

They reached the zoo and they saw all the animals Ryuji wanted to see (he was always particularly fond of giraffes, for whatever reason). They walked around for a bit, with Ryuji in awe of the animals, before taking a break and decided to eat lunch. More often than not, his father would bring him a small little cake that was enough to share just for the three of them, along with some gifts of the things Ryuji had asked for months ago, but always end up forgetting.

 _Happy Birthday, Ryu-kun!_ His mother placed a kiss on his forehead while his father looked at him with a proud, loving look on his face.

 _I'm so glad to have you two in my life._ He once said, and little Ryuji's heart would flutter, preening at the words.

_He loves me. My dad loves me._

Those were the good old days. The days when his father was actually a father, who had nothing, but love and comfort for the two things that were supposed to be the most important things in his life. His father, his hero.....

 _"You good for nothing, unwanted, child! I regret the day you were born!"_ Bottles. They littered everywhere. Lots of yelling, angry words being thrown about, crying, screaming, hate-filled eyes that landed on him, always looking at him despite Ryuji wanting to escape. _"I can't believe I raised a child like you! After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?! Selfish little shit!"_ He remembers being scared whenever his father was like this, remembers the screams of wanting to be let go, remembers his mother sobs as his father turned to her, releasing the same anger he had when dealing with Ryuji onto her. _"I hate you! You whore! And as for you, demon spawn, I never want to see your ugly ass face again! You hear me?! Go to your room!"_

Ryuji had been terrified. He ran into his room, shut the door, and just listen to his father scream out nothing but insults about him, about his mother, hearing him slap her, hurt her. He huddled into a corner with tears in his eyes, mute, and he wondered when all of this had started. Why was his father so mean all of the sudden, when he use to love them, loved him. He didn't like this new dad, he wanted the old one back.

The beatings were worse on his birthdays.

It was a reminder that he wasn't wanted, that his dad hated him, that he couldn't do anything right. His father would tell him again and again.....

He was a mistake.

His birth was a mistake.

Sakamoto Ryuji should've never been born.

There had been no more cakes, no more surprise visits to the places he wanted to go, no more special breakfast, no more presents. All his birthdays were filled with angry words, sounds of bottles smashing onto the ground or the wall, the sobs of his mother crying, the tears he'd cried whenever his father was abusing him. Suddenly, his birthdays weren't that happy, and as he grew up, Ryuji started to think of them as nothing more, but regret.

Sakamoto Ryuji was the biggest regret his father had ever made.

* * *

Akira furrowed his eyebrows.

"It's his birthday?" He asked, looking over at Ann, who nodded.

"Yeah. I'm surprise he didn't tell you." Then Ann paused. "Then again, maybe not all that surprising. Ryuji kind of hates his birthdays."

"Oh?" Yusuke looked surprised at this. "What ever the reason for? I thought birthdays were suppose to be celebrated."

"They are, Inari," Futaba said, rolling her eyes. "But I'm assuming the reason for it is because it's link to Ryuji's past right? With his kind of background, it's not that hard to figure out."

At that, everyone was silent. They knew that Ryuji's father was possibly to be blamed for Ryuji's reluctance about his birthday, and it kind of breaks their heart to see him have such an effect on their blond teammate.

Ann shrugged her shoulders once more. "Yeah...Since then, Ryuji never mentions his birthdays. In fact, he seems to get sadder whenever it is mentioned."

Akira frowned. He didn't like the fact that Ryuji seems to be sad whenever his birthday rolled around.

"We should do something."

"What do you have in mind?" Makoto asked, looking at their leader.

"A surprise party. For Ryuji. I don't want his birthdays to be a reminder of his dad. He should be happy." Akira said.

"He use to tell me all the time that his mother use to make something special for him." Ann added, which Akira took note of.

"Maybe I'll drop by the house then, see if I could make something." The raven muttered.

"Or ask Sojiro to," Futaba said, a cheeky grin on her face when Akira shot her glare. "No offense Akira, but um, your cooking is terrible. I'm just glad Ryuji knows how to, or else you two would be starving." She crackled, even when Akira's eyes narrowed even further.

"Where should we hold the surprise then?" Haru asked. They thought about it for a while.

"Leblanc?"

"Why not? We can also ask Sojiro for the place as well." Morgana said.

"I'll do the decorating!" Haru said.

"I could order us a cake." Makoto said.

"I'll get started on my present for Ryuji, then." Yusuke said.

"I'll also be helping with the decorating." Futaba said.

"I can shop for gifts for you guys if you want me to." Ann said, to which everyone nodded.

"That settles it, then," Akira started. "We have to make sure Ryuji has the best birthday ever. So much, he'll forget what his father has done to him."

"YEAH!"  

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday Luigi. Sorry for angst.


End file.
